The Second Soldier
by JediDragonRider22
Summary: Following an idea on a scene in the First Avenger, it makes logical sense for Phil Coulson to be a super soldier. Yes, you heard me correctly. Read the story to see how! Rated T because I'm paranoid.
1. Prologue

_**Full Summary:**_

 _ **Have you picked up on the clip in The First Avenger with the young boy holding a trash can lid painted to look like Captain America's shield? His mom calls him Phil. I know him now as Phil Coulson, later agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. At first you think he'd be way too old, but did you ever consider that the U.S. started trying to recreate the super-soldier serum after Captain America? And who would be the first to sign up? Agent Coulson.**_

 _ **He didn't get those Captain America trading cards off of EBay. He's had them since he was a little boy.**_

 _ **This is his story.**_

* * *

 _Prologue:_

 **Monday, July 7, 1944**

"Phil, time for dinner!"

"Coming, mom!" Phil Coulson called back.

He hid his makeshift shield in the alley near his house. If one of the other boys found it the next day before him, they would get to play Captain America.

He couldn't have that.

He entered their tiny one-story house through the back door. His mother, Julie, was setting the table in the dining room, and if he ran into her, he'd have to help. So he snuck in and went to wash his hands. Unfortunately, the door creaked on his way in.

"Phil, is that you? Come help me with the table, please."

Phil sighed. "Yes, ma'am."

Family dinner was always important in the Coulson household. But with his father away at war (he was a military doctor), it was just him and his mother. Robert Coulson's place sat vacant, as if it needed to prove to them every night that he was gone. He had already been away for a year and a half, returning only once, when he caught the flu. But Phil and his mother made by fine, always keeping him in mind as they said the blessing over their food every evening.

"I got a letter from your father today," his mother said.

Phi's face brightened. "How is he? Have the soldiers he's been travelling with beaten the bad guys yet?"

"He hasn't said a word about that. I don't think he's allowed to. But he says he's well, and that he hopes you are too. He also said he got to meet Captain America, and he got a signed card just for you."

Phil's face was glowing now "Where is it?"

"He couldn't send it with the letter, but he says he'll get it to you soon."

* * *

 **Monday, September 22, 1944**

Phil was in the middle of grammar class when he got called out.

What had he done wrong? No one who went to the principal's office ever came back without punishment. But he hadn't done anything, at least, not that he knew of.

But he wasn't in trouble. He entered the office to find his mother standing there, sobbing. Hot tears streamed down her face, smudging her carefully done makeup. It scared him more than anything else in his later life: he had never seen his mother cry.

"What's wrong, Mother?" Phil asked.

Julie Coulson couldn't speak for a few seconds before calming down enough to tell him the bad news. "It's your father. There was a bombing. He's… he's…"

She couldn't finish the sentence, but she didn't need to. Phil, only nine years old, knew the last word before she even spoke it.

"…dead"

At first he just stood there. He didn't know what to do. A scream pierced the air. It took him a few seconds to realize it was his own. He threw himself into his mother's arms. She held him as the sympathetic secretary looked on.

She carried Phil out of the building. A taxi was waiting at the curb.

The ride home was torturous. Phil's chest started hurting, but he couldn't stop his tears, nor his interspersed hiccups and sobs. His mother spent the whole ride staring out the window, eyes glazed over with tears, clutching her son close, as if he would be torn away from her too.

* * *

 **Tuesday, September 30, 1944**

Phil lay on his stomach in bed, trying to get rid of his feeling. If only it were possible to go emotionally numb. He sorted and resorted his Captain America trading cards. He had so many by now; they were his prized possessions. But he would give them all away if he could only have one more minute with his father, even just a moment.

Stop, he told himself. I can't think of him. Each thought ripped open a new tear in his wounded heart, forcing more tears to come out of his poor, tired eyes. He never knew it was possible to cry so much. Well, he was wrong. He was wrong about other things too, like the fact that Captain America was the greatest man in the world. No, he knew now that his father was, at least to him.

His mother let him be after his father's funeral. He couldn't see her face without thinking of her and his father together, smiling, a happy couple. It hurt to think that they would never be together again. Now all he had was his mom, his trading cards, and the one living role model: Captain America. He knew now that he would grow up and fight just like him for his country. It wouldn't get his father back, but it would ease his mind knowing others wouldn't have to go through the same thing he was going through.

* * *

 _ **Ok, so here's what IS and was is NOT canon in this chapter: Phil Coulson's birthday was July 8, but it was in 1964, not 1938. His parents were actually named Robert and Julie. Robert died on September 22, but 32 years later in 1973. Other than that, canon hasn't changed. I just put this note in here for all of those who are interested, because, yes, I looked up what I didn't know.**_

* * *

 _ **Please review! First 100 followers get shout outs from me! Even if this doesn't matter, you hated the story, you want to suggest something, or you just really liked it, PLEASE TELL ME SO!**_

 _ **If I missed anything, tell me this also, because while I've seen all the movies, I haven't seen any of the TV shows, so I may have missed something when I researched it.**_

 _ **Thanks for reading, and please continue to do so!**_


	2. Chapter 1

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel, or any of its characters, including, but not limited to Howard Stark, Julie, Robert, and Phil Coulson._**

* * *

 _Chapter One:_

 **July 23, 1953**

The army general across the desk stamped the paper and handed him the file to look at. He had officially been enlisted.

"Congratulations, soldier," he told Phil.

"Thank you, sir." Phil said. He left the file on the desk and headed to the door. The general stopped him.

"Tell me something, would you please?"

"Yes, sir."

"Why do you wan to join?"

"I wish to serve my country, sir. Jut as many other men do."

"That's all?"

Phil had always been uncomfortable talking about is father, but for some reason he answered the question.

"No, sir. My father was a military doctor. He died when I was nine. I went through some tough times after that. I thought that maybe I could keep others from having to go through the same thing."

"So you care about fellow soldiers more than the country?"

"I would think that without soldiers there would be no country."

"Very well put. Thank you." He paused. "Phil Coulson, is it? I have someone I think would like to meet you. Could you see him tomorrow morning at his office?"

Phil was confused. Why would someone want to see a skinny, newly recruited eighteen-year-old? But he agreed.

"Yes, sir."

"Good. I'll give you the address."

* * *

 **July 24, 1953**

"I'm here to see a Dr. Christopher Stan," Phil told the receptionist at the office building.

"Yes, I see that here in the schedule. His laboratory's on a restricted level. I'll send you with a guard."

This puzzled Phil, but he had no time to think about it before a dark-haired security guard wearing sunglasses and a suit escorted him to an elevator.

The guard pulled out a key and slipped it into a lock below the regular numbered keypad. To his surprise, the elevator began to drop. Apparently the restricted level was belowground.

They went down for a full minute and a half before they reached the bottom. The doors opened, but the guard did not leave.

"I don't have clearance for this level," he told Phil. "Go on ahead, though. Dr. Stan should be in the laboratory on your left.

Phil nodded and stepped out of the elevator. It closed behind him.

There were only two doors in front of him. He knocked on the left.

"Come in!" A voice, presumably Dr. Stan's called.

He opened the door.

The lab was quite a sight: organized but cluttered at the same time. A glass case stood to one side, holding a least a dozen expensive-looking scientific instruments. Cabinets with heavy-duty locks covered one wall. A fridge-looking device even had a biometric lock on it. It seemed a little cautious for an already restricted level so deep underground.

What on earth does this guy do?, Phil thought.

He didn't have much time to wonder before Dr. Stan started talking. He was a middle-aged man with dark eyes and greying hair, around 6 foot tall, with no lack of muscle. Definitely not someone he would pick a fight with.

"You're wondering why you're here, no?" Dr. Stan asked. He spoke with a slight French accent. It seemed like a rhetorical question, so Phil didn't respond.

"Well, are you?"

"Oh, yes Dr. Stan, sir"

He laughed. "Please, call me Chris."

"Yes, sir… I mean, Chris, yes, I haven't a clue why I'm here."

"That is good, no? I couldn't have anyone knowing my work. I have brought you here to ask you a question." He paused before continuing, as if he was carefully considering his words.

"You have heard of Captain America?"

"Yes, sir, I mean Chris." It was throwing him off, talking to a superior like this.

"You know he was enhanced with a super-serum of sorts, then?"

"Yes, I did. I was actually quite a fan."

"Do you know why he was the only one of his kind?"

"The serum was taken, but destroyed, and the Captain died killing the leader of Hydra, the Nazi Science division."

"Very good, very good…. Well, I have been put in charge of recreating the serum." He took a moment to let it sink in.

"And I am on the brink of doing it. I am asking for volunteers for testing."

"And you want me?!" Phil was shocked.

"Yes, I would. Actually, I have already asked about two dozen other soldiers. Up until this point in the conversation they wanted to do it too. You do, no?"

"Yes." Phil replied quickly. All his life he had wanted to be like the Captain. He never thought he would get this close.

"Listen to this, then. I cannot promise success. If the experiment fails, there is a chance you will have to be locked up, or if you get out of control… terminated."

Phil took a sharp breath. Was it worth it?

"You still want to do this? There is only a 61% chance of success. You can back out now, with no harm done. You'll only have to sign a contract of silence. If you wish to continue in the army, you will have to go through a procedure to wipe all memory of my location."

Phil took a moment, but he already knew the answer.

"That won't be necessary, sir. I want to do this."

"One more question. Why?"

"Since I was a young boy, Captain America was my role model. After my father's death nearly nine years ago, he was the only one I had left, aside from my mother. I want to help my country. I don't like bullies, especially not those who take lives for no reason. I want to stop that." Phil didn't know how close he had been to what Steve had told a different scientist ten years before.

"Very well, then. How much do you weigh?"

Was this really a question? He was small, and he wasn't proud of it.

"110 pounds."

"Height?"

"5'6"."

"Ok, Mr. Coulson. Procedure tomorrow at nine am. I'll have someone give you a ride from your place, if that's alright with you."

"Yes, sir."

"Chris."

"Right, Chris. Sorry."

* * *

 **July 25, 1953**

He was driven the next day via bulletproof SUV. It seemed a little excessive, but then again, Dr. Stan was currently carrying a vile of serum worth more than money could buy. The War was over, but that didn't mean there were no more enemies. There would always be other enemies. The Nazis were still in existence. Hydra still hadn't been wiped out. Even without their leader, they lived on.

They stopped in front of a plain, brick building. Honestly, to Phil it looked abandoned.

As soon as they got out, the SUV left. Two armed guards escorted the doctor and Phil inside the building, then took positions directly inside the door. Chis walked over to an elevator in the corner, and went inside. Phil followed. Chris held down the button for level four until he heard a click and then quickly tapped the three and then the five. The elevator dropped, heading to another underground lab, Phil figured.

However when they got out, they fund only a small room with a door on one end. It looked like a hospital room, only the bed was surrounded by metal equipment.

"Please, make yourself comfortable. Phil took off his shirt and lay in the bed. A few moments later, two men entered through the other door. One he recognized as Howard Stark, the same man who had helped with the process on Steve Rogers. The other was a nurse, carrying a stethoscope and a monitor which she quickly hooked up to a different machine.

"Alright, I need to put in a few I.V.s" The nurse told him after introducing herself as Megan Scuderi. While she was putting the needles in four different spots on his arms, Howard Stark explained that he and Dr. Stan were with a newly founded organization called S.H.I.E.L.D., and that he would become an agent by going through the procedure. Then he proceeded to explain the procedure to him. He would be injected with the serum through the I.V.s, then they would expose him to a certain type of radiation in a room next door. After that he would stay here for a few days to be monitored, if it was a success. If it failed, then different precautionary measures would be taken. Phil took a sharp breath at the last point.

"Are you ready? You still can back out now if you want. Once the serum's inside, it could possible be too late."

"No, sir. I'm ready."

"Very well, Dr. Stan, you may proceed."

The nurse hooked up the serum through the I.V. bags, and Dr. Stan pressed a button on one of the metal pieces of equipment. He placed an electrode on his forehead and another on his chest. Then he pressed another button, and the fluid began to enter is veins.

"Unlike with Steven Rogers, this should be somewhat painless."

* * *

The serum was now in his bloodstream. He had been taken into another room. It turned out there was a whole hallway of rooms down here, including a highly secure prison cell, which worried Phil.

In the new room, he lay on another bed, and was placed in what looked similar to an MRI scanner. Only, he was closed completely in once he was inside.

"You ready, Coulson?" Howard Stark asked through the arrangement of glass and metal.

He was not entirely sure at this point, but he told him he was anyway.

* * *

A few minutes later, after pretty severe pain, Coulson was removed from the case.

He didn't dare open his eyes. What if it had failed?

"Well, it looks like success, Doctor," he heard Howard say. He seemed distant.

"Phil, are you good?"

"Phil?"

Phil reluctantly opened his eyes. "Yeah," he said weakly.

"Let's check you out. Megan?"

"Yes, Mr. Stark."

Megan helped him to his feet, and Phil dared to look at himself. He definitely didn't look like Steve Rogers, but he had clearly changed. He was somewhat taller, weighed more, and was clearly more muscular

After full evaluation, he was found to be 5'9", three inches taller, and 158 pounds, adding nearly 50 pounds to his previous weight. He wasn't Captain America material, but he was enhanced, and exhausted.

"After observation for the next few days, we can test your more… interesting abilities."

"What do you mean?" He knew nothing of this.

"The super-serum does more than just add body mass."

* * *

 _ **Ok, so there's chapter one! Nothing in this chapter is contradicted by canon except of course, coulson's age, but they could have lied about that anyway, so I could say this totally follows canon.**_

 _ **Thank you to Armand and PorNgub for reviews, Dragonball X Avalon, Collectorofkeys, PorNgub and Blaney for following, and Riolu G. Hand, Collectorofkeys, and amichalap for favoriting! I hope to add all you new readers to the list!**_

 _ **Please review, favorite, and follow, everyone! It means a lot, and I really need you guys to, especially with reviews! If you have a suggestion, I'll consider it, if I missed something, please tell me!**_

 _ **Thanks for reading!**_


	3. Chapter 2

**_This chapter's a bit shorter, but it explains a lot. Please enjoy!_**

* * *

 _Chapter Two_

 **July 30, 1953**

 **5 days after serum injection.**

Phil was feeling drowsy. He hadn't felt well since his injection, and Chris was genuinely worried.

"Can I get some water, please?" Phil asked.

"Of course," Megan replied. She or another nurse, Rachel, also with S.H.I.E.L.D., had been by his side constantly through the past five days.

Megan hurried back with a large glass of water, which she handed to Phil.

"Here you go."

"Thank you."

"I ran into Dr. Stan in the hall. He says he'll give you another evaluation in a few hours. Are you OK with that?"

"Sure."

So far he hadn't shown any hostile effects, just drowsiness, severe chills, slight fever, as well as numerous other symptoms, none of which could be good for his health. The serum was first thought to be a success, but everyone was worried for him now. He had an evaluation every day to see I he was getting better, but each examination had come to the same conclusion: he was sick, and they didn't know why.

He lay back in bed after finishing off the water and closed his eyes. Megan was reading a book in the corner of the room. An I.V. was stuck in his arm, pumping antibacterial medicine, vitamins, and pain reliever into his system. It would have seemed like a regular hospital room if it wasn't so far underground, and two doors over from a serum injection chamber.

The doctor came in two and a half hours later to check up on Phil.

"You feeling any better?"

"Sure, I'm full of morphine. It really does work." He tried to force a smile. He wasn't feeing much pain, but he was still miserable.

"Megan, monitor vitals please. I'm gonna try something new."

"Ok." Megan got up from her chair in the corner and walked over to the monitor by Phil's bed. "Ready."

"Ok, Phil. This is going to send a sort of shock into your bloodstream. It actually contains a micro-robot, military issue. It should help us find the issue."

"Alright"

Chris hooked up a new I.V. bag., and motioned for Megan to start the injection.

It definitely felt like a shock. Phil stifled a scream.

"All done," Chris told him.

Phil groaned. His arm stung. It felt like someone had just shot a bullet into his I.V.

"Megan, up the dose on the morphine. He appears to be in pain."

You think, Phil thought.

Chris turned back to Phil. "Howard is on his way over. He knows how to view the data. If there's anything that little robot can find, we'll know in the next 24 hours. The pain in the injection sight should cease in the next couple of hours. You may experience some mild discomfort later on, as your immune system takes time to adjust to the intrusion. You can let Megan know if you need anything."

"Thank you, Chris."

"What for? I'm the one who's putting you through this."

A smile played across Phil's face.

* * *

Howard came in ten hours later, carrying a clipboard.

"Hey, Soldier." he said cheerfully. Howard had started calling him 'Soldier' after the serum injection. "we've found a few things with the nanodroid."

"Well, do you know what's wrong with me?"

"Not entirely. However, we found a possible problem. The serum reacted exactly as it should have. The sickness your feeling right now, we think, could just be a side effect of the enhancement process. We sped up the original process through the radiation. But there was a secondary process we never accounted for. That's what you're going through now. According to my calculations, the new wave of side effects should finish within the next few weeks."

Phil groaned. "Are you sure."

"I have an alternative, but it means you'll have to go through more radiation exposure."

"Fine."

"Great. We'll do that tomorrow then. I'll need to give you a medication to prep you for a second exposure tonight. But for now, I have another discovery to tell you about."

"What is it?"

"This second process was totally unaccounted for… "

"Yes, you told me that."

"We never thought the serum would do this to you, but… it will enhance more than we thought."

"How so?" Phil prepared himself for the worst news possible.

It must have shown in his expression because Howard laughed. "Well, it's not all bad."

"Please tell me."

"Well, it may include heightened senses, slowed aging, extended life, and extreme agility." He paused. "Of course, we'll recreate the serum without this, because it could be problematic to have multiple people like you. Right now, but you can look to be about 150 at least. When you turn 70, you'll look 40."

That took a while to sink in.

"You sure about this?"

"Pretty darn"

* * *

 ** _So there you go. Explanation for Agent Coulson living so long. Please tell me what you think!_**

 ** _I don't currently have any more shout-outs to include, but I NEED more reviews and followers!_**

 ** _Happy Reading!_**


	4. Chapter 3

**_Just another note on canon for those who are interested (I promise this is the last one): Everything I haven't mentioned doesn't conflict with canon. It's not directly implied by it, but it doesn't say it couldn't have happened._**

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel *sigh* or any of it's canonical characters, only my own OCs._**

* * *

 _Chapter Three:_

 **August 1, 1953**

 **1 day after second radiation exposure.**

"How you feeling? We took you off morphine last night," Chris asked.

"Much better, thanks to you and Howard."

"My pleasure. Are you sure you're ready for testing today?"

"No, but I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

"Alright then. Rachel, please escort Phil to the testing facility. I'll meet you there in a half hour."

* * *

The building they went to actually looked like something. Apparently S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn't a secret like the re-creation of the super-serum was.

Rachel dropped him off at the entrance and drove off, living Phil standing on the curb, staring at the large building in front of him, made mostly of large sheets of glass. He headed toward the front doors.

As soon as he was inside, the receptionist called over to him.

"Phil Coulson, right?" She asked as he approached.

"Yeah, I'm here on Dr. Stan's orders."

"Agent Carter is waiting for you in her office."

Her office was just around the corner on the main floor. Phil found it without difficulty. As soon as he entered the room, realization took over.

Oh, Agent Carter, as in Peggy Carter, Captain America's former girlfriend and major ally.

"Good morning, Mr. Coulson. Won't you have a seat?"

Phil took the seat he was offered in front of Peggy's desk without hesitation.

"We just have a few documents and things to go over before we can officially recruit you."

What?, Phil thought. Oh yeah, I'm joining S.H.I.E.L.D.

"Once we finish here I'll send you to work with Dr. Stan and Mr. Stark."

* * *

Phil couldn't believe it. He was officially a member of S.H.I.E.L.D.. He couldn't help but grin as he left Peggy's office.

Chris and Howard were in the training facility, just as he was told.

"Ok, we're going to start off with the basic things. Have you ever lifted weights before?"

"I did for about two months once but I didn't get very far."

"Well, let's try it, shall we?"

"Sure."

After he lifted weights (he was much better than before), he ran on the treadmill for what seemed like hours, without breaking a sweat. He did strength training, which turned out to be completely unnecessary, more cardio, which he did great at, and then did tests created by Dr. Stan to fully measure his physical status. They reached the expected conclusion: he was muscular, significantly stronger than before, and in way better shape.

"Ok, now we move on to the fun stuff."

Phil reluctantly nodded his head.

"Sit here, please. We're going to measure your flexibility."

After flexibility came agility. After that they asked him to do seemingly useless exercises, which turned out to be a test for resilience and also to see if he displayed any 'superhuman abilities'. Essentially, they wanted to know if the had created a man who could turn into a superhero or supervillain, or just a strong soldier.

Phil, Chris, and Howard spent nine hours in the training center. By the end, Phil was exhausted. Afterward, they went back to the hospital-like underground facility. Apparently there was currently nowhere else to go. S.H.I.E.L.D. would issue him a place to stay as soon as everything had been scanned in and insured for accuracy.

For now, though, the Second Soldier would live underground.

* * *

 **August 24, 1953**

 **23 days after becoming a S.H.I.E.L.D. Member.**

 **18 days after officially being named a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent.**

 **10 days until relocation.**

Phil was a nervous wreck. He had just received his first assignment, and was leaving in ten days for New York. It wasn't that he wasn't confident in his abilities: he knew what he could do was far beyond an average soldier, but he was afraid he would get caught, or that his name would be known.

After his predicted lifespan had been confirmed by medical examinations and lab tests, S.H.I.E.L.D. had decided to relocate him and his mother to New York, where the two would be put in hiding (well, Phil would be on missions, but using an alternate identity.) until Phil was old enough for his life to be thought reasonable. At this point, Phil would be essentially given a new life b the government, with a new birthday in 1964, and a father who didn't serve in WWII. Phil protested at first, but knew there wasn't a better way that he could think of to protect his mother, and keep Dr. Stan's research a secret.

Phil currently lay in bed, woken at three in the morning by the endless ball of nerves that twisted in his gut. He stared at the ceiling and tried to imagine life in New York under a new identity. He tried to imagine reliving what he thought to be already in the past. He tried to imagine pretending he was thirty ears younger, or living a life over one and a half times longer than the average person. But he couldn't. The thought was too far out there. His brain still told him it was impossible, even though he and his lab tests were roof that it was.

He never thought having Captain America as his major role model and hero would lead to this.

But it had…

And he had to learn to live with it.

* * *

 _ **There you go! Please review! No more shout-outs at the moment, probably because of reposting issues with the site. Hopefully they have been solved when I post this new chapter.**_

 _ **Thanks for reading! And again, please review/favorite/follow!**_


	5. Chapter 4

_Chapter Four:_

 **August 11, 1953**

 **Day of relocation.**

Phil sighed as he left the house he grew up in for the last time. His mother was already in the car, and he followed suit. A government agent named Ginger Hill was driving them. Apparently they would be watched from the moment they stepped out the door. Phil couldn't help but consider what he'd gotten himself into.

The drive to New York took about four and a half hours. They didn't stop anywhere except for gas, which cut back on the travel time. Phil didn't complain. He was used to long car rides. Before she had died, he used to visit his hospitalized grandmother almost every weekend, and she lived at least three hours away. She enjoyed their visits, even if she would forget them the next moment (She had Alzheimer's), and so the Coulson family continued to go.

Coulson was torn away from his thoughts when Ginger slammed on the brakes… in the middle of the street.

"You guys are going to need to get out."

"Why?"

"Someone's trying to kill you." Phil's heart thumped hard inside his chest.

"How… how do you know?"

"We're on an abandoned side street, no one else is going this way, and the scanners just picked up a grenade 100 feet away."

This couldn't be any good: It meant the information had leaked.

"How did someone find out?"

"I don't know. I'm calling in air support."

"Why didn't you just fly us in the first place?"

"Too conspicuous."

* * *

The rest of the day was a nightmare. After S.H.I.E.L.D. ferried Phil and Julie off the scene, they attempted to look for evidence and track down the conspirator. Unfortunately, only minutes after Phil had left in a helicopter, someone triggered the bomb, leaving a wreckage far worse than originally thought. Three people died in the blast. What troubled Phil was that some of the agents seemed only to care that Phil wasn't hurt, as if he was far more important than the victims.

While the FBI, CIA, and S.H.I.E.L.D. came rushing to the scene, Phil was hidden away in a safe house somewhere in rural New York.

The house was not where they originally planned to put Phil, but after the events of the last few hours, they couldn't take chances. The plans had changed, the stakes were high, and they couldn't risk letting the public in on Phil's secret. Someone had more information than they should, and they would use it: he was sure.

The 'safe house' turned out to be a summer house for one of the earliest S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to sign on. He was away on an intelligence mission at the moment, so Phil would be there with only his mother and two guards, just in case.

It was a farmhouse, really, but without a farm. It was all there was within miles, surrounded by green. From s distance it could have passed as a farm. But it wasn't really. It was made of whitewashed wood and covered in windows. The interior was nice, for sure. There were six bedrooms, one of which would be Phil's for at least a short while.

It didn't exactly feel like home, but it would have to do.

* * *

Phil couldn't sleep, again.

He was concerned with how far out there the information was and how many people knew he was a super-soldier. He listed them off in his head: himself, Howard, Chris, Rachel, Megan, and Peggy for sure, but how many others? He knew it was classified even to high-level agents, but someone out there had found out, and he wasn't nearly as friendly as the others on the list.

He knew when he signed on that it would be a dangerous job. He could have been killed b the serum. At least he had made it this far.

Phil juggled his thoughts as he tossed and turned. Finally, a restless sleep took him.

* * *

The next morning, Phil woke to the smell of freshly-brewed coffee and French toast.

Ah, he thought, Mom's cooking.

It was the first comfort of home he had felt in a long time. It was just strange to be experiencing it in someone else's home. But he shoved aside that thought as he entered the kitchen.

"Good morning, Phil."

"Morning."

"I never knew someone who didn't keep flour in their cupboard. Apparently this guy believes in putting everything in the fridge."

Phil couldn't help but smile. His mom appeared to not be troubled by the events of the last month at all. She was back to her good old self, and for a moment Phil could imagine himself as he was before he had enlisted, before he had volunteered his life for an insane science experiment, before someone wanted him dead.

But the moment vanished just as soon as it had come. He piled pancakes on his plate as his mother poured him a cup of coffee. It was nice to imagine things as they were. But he would never be the same as he was before. He was different now, and there was no going back. His momentary happiness was far overwhelmed by other things: fear, dread, hopelessness.

The only comforting thought was that he would be able to do something he never would be able to without the serum: he could fight well for his country, he could save thousands of lives, and he could do what he had dreamed of doing since he was a boy.

* * *

 _ **A note on S.H.I.E.L.D.: as far as my knowledge goes, we only know that S.H.I.E.L.D. was created after Cap went under and some of its founding members were Peggy Carter and Howard Stark. I have no idea how canonically accurate the development of S.H.I.E.L.D. according to my story would be, or if there is anything to compare it to. I just wrote how I might imagine it to be, not a huge agency yet, but still somewhat powerful.**_

* * *

 _ **I would like to thank one follower in particular: Ur fan, who pointed out that a few dates were originally wrong in this story. I now fixed this, thanks to you! A round of applause, please.**_

 _ **This is a reminder that I really do care if you notice a mistake! I can't write this story without all of my readers' support! Please favorite/follow/review!**_

 _ **If you liked this story at all, please follow/favorite if you haven't already!**_

 _ **Everyone please tell me what you think, any ideas, or corrections in the reviews. It only takes a minute of your time and it really helps!**_

 _ **Thanks in advance!**_


	6. Chapter 5

_Chapter Six_

 **August 24, 1953**

So far everything had gone according to plan. His fake ID had been accepted, his credentials and invitation had been validated, and he was inside the building. No one thought he looked out of place. He fit right in with his expensive wardrobe and I.D. badge pinned to his suit pocket.

After they opened the doors for the conference, he headed in along with the others. Most of them went in in pairs or groups, but no one seemed to notice the lone soldier walking in.

The meeting went by quickly. Phil got what he needed and made it out without complications, just as was expected. A S.H.I.E.L.D. agent picked him up from the hotel afterward.

Agent Carter was pleased when he returned in one piece. Everyone was glad to add the new recruit to the team. No one noticed the fact that Phil Coulson had made one tiny mistake: he had forgotten his fake I.D. at the conference.

* * *

 **August 25, 1953**

Phil was looking into a file for someone on a possible case he might take on when Agent Carter burst into the room.

"What is it?"

"Did you account for your false I.D. when you left the conference yesterday?"

Phil paled. He hadn't. He must have left it.

"No, you did not. You left it at the conference. One of the janitors found it and took it to the police. He said he found it at some cheap hotel, obviously a lie, but it was, after all, a secret meeting. The police identified it as a fake. The man you were going as died three years ago in a car accident, and he certainly did not look like you." She paused and looked Phil directly in the eye.

"They put out a search to find a man with your description. They have a photograph!" She was clearly upset at him.

"This will take some of my best agents at least a week to cover up. Not to mention you let the janitor who works for our possible _enemies_ know that you weren't supposed to be there. We already have the information we need, but now that they know, they could pose as an even worse threat than before if our suspicions are true… A less than satisfactory job on this mission, Coulson."

"I'm sorry," was all Phil managed. It sounded stupid after he said it, but all he could do was apologize.

"I won't hold it directly against you because it was your first mission, but you've cost us lots of time and effort and possibly security. I expect better next time."

She left. Phil couldn't believe that anyone could forgive him for that. He had ruined his whole mission and compromised SHIELD security. Agent Carter must think highly of her agents to cover it up well, or else he might no longer be a SHIELD agent.

* * *

 **September 26, 1953**

Phil had been a SHIELD agent for over a month now, but he had yet to accompany a group of agents on a significant mission. He had gotten cut after Agent Clenton had decided he needed one less person on a trip to Arkansas.

The fact that he was stronger than any of the other agents made him more upset when _he_ was the one they decided to cut. He figured it was because of how badly he botched the first mission.

This was wy he was surprised when Agent Carter walked over to his desk with an envelope, two days after Agent Clenton had left with three others.

"This is a case file for a man about 120 miles from here. He's a possible suspect for an international smuggling ring. I think he might also have other jobs."

"Am I allowed to ask why you're showing me this?"

"I'd like you to lead the mission."

* * *

 _ **Sorry it took so long to update. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please tell me what you think. Thank you to all of my reviewers , favorite-ers, and followers! Please review! Advice, suggestions, corrections, and constructive criticism are welcome!**_


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